Compliance
How FolioReach stays compliant with Amazon's review guidelines
We understand that compliance is the single most important concern for authors considering a review platform. This page explains exactly how our model works and why it aligns with Amazon's Community Guidelines.
The Core Principle
Readers are paid to read, not to review. Reviews are always optional, never required, and never influenced.
This distinction is the foundation of our entire platform. Amazon prohibits paying for reviews. We do not pay for reviews. We compensate readers for their time spent reading a book. Whether they choose to leave a review is entirely up to them.
What Amazon's Guidelines Actually Say
What Amazon Prohibits
- Paying someone to write a review ("paid reviews")
- Requiring a review as a condition of receiving a product or payment
- Influencing or dictating review content, star ratings, or sentiment
- Offering compensation tied to the act of leaving a review
- Reviews by the product manufacturer, seller, or author (or their close relatives)
What Amazon Allows
- Providing free or discounted copies of a book to potential reviewers
- Allowing recipients of free copies to voluntarily leave a review
- Reviews from people who received a product for free, as long as no review is required
- Readers choosing independently whether and what to write in a review
- Honest reviews of any star rating, including negative reviews
How FolioReach Stays Compliant
Our platform is designed from the ground up to operate within Amazon's stated exception. Here are the specific measures we take:
Compensation Is for Reading, Not Reviewing
Readers on FolioReach are paid for the time they invest in reading a book. The compensation is for reading -- not for submitting a review. A reader can complete their obligation by submitting either an Amazon review or a book report (a short summary confirming they read the book). Both options are treated equally. There is no financial difference for the reader based on whether they choose to post a review on Amazon.
Reviews Are Always Optional
At no point does FolioReach require readers to post a review on Amazon. Readers who choose not to leave a review can still confirm their read through a book report. We explicitly tell readers that reviews are optional during onboarding, in our terms of service, and at the point of submission.
No Influence on Review Content
FolioReach never suggests, edits, screens, or filters review content. We do not ask readers to write positive reviews. We do not filter out negative reviews. We do not give authors any mechanism to contact readers about their reviews. The review is the reader's independent opinion, full stop.
No Penalty for Low Ratings
Readers are never penalized for leaving low star ratings. A 2-star review is treated identically to a 5-star review on our platform. Authors are charged the same amount regardless of the star rating. This ensures there is zero incentive pressure on the reader to write anything other than their genuine assessment.
Vetted Reader Network
Every reader on FolioReach is verified for Amazon account standing, review history, and reading authenticity. We reject readers with a history of review manipulation, fake accounts, or suspicious patterns. Our compliance team continuously monitors reader behavior and removes any accounts that show signs of policy violations.
Amazon's Free Copy Exception
Amazon's Community Guidelines explicitly state that a person who receives a free or discounted product may leave a review as long as no review is required or influenced. This is the exact framework FolioReach operates within. Readers receive access to a book, are compensated for reading it, and may optionally leave a review reflecting their honest opinion.
Addressing Common Concerns
"Isn't paying readers the same as paying for reviews?"
No. There is a critical legal and practical distinction. Paying for a review means compensation is contingent on a review being written. FolioReach pays readers for their time spent reading. Whether they write a review is their choice. Amazon makes this same distinction in their guidelines -- free or discounted products may be reviewed as long as no review is required.
"Won't Amazon detect that reviews are coming from FolioReach readers?"
Amazon's concern is with incentivized or manipulated reviews, not with where a reader discovers a book. Our readers have established Amazon accounts with organic purchase and review histories. They review books across many sources, not exclusively through FolioReach. There is nothing in a FolioReach-generated review that distinguishes it from any other voluntary review.
"What if Amazon changes their guidelines?"
We actively monitor Amazon's Community Guidelines and Terms of Service for changes. Our compliance team reviews updates regularly and will adjust our platform operations as needed. If a policy change affects how we operate, we will communicate that to all active authors immediately.
"Has any author had reviews removed because of FolioReach?"
Amazon removes reviews for a variety of reasons unrelated to how a reader found a book, including account-level issues, velocity concerns, or reviewer history. We cannot guarantee that any individual review will remain on Amazon permanently. However, our compliance-first approach minimizes the risk factors that typically trigger review removal.
"How is this different from other review services that got shut down?"
Many previous services explicitly paid for reviews, required reviews as a condition of compensation, or used fake accounts. FolioReach does none of these things. Our model is structurally different: compensation is for reading, reviews are optional, and every reader is a real person with a verified Amazon account. We were built to be compliant, not to work around the rules.
Our Commitment
FolioReach exists to help authors get the honest visibility their books deserve. We will never compromise on compliance to deliver faster results. If Amazon's guidelines change, we change with them. Our reputation — and yours — depends on it.
Have compliance questions? Contact our team — we're happy to walk you through our process in detail.
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